This WIP is one I've been meaning to start for a while. I saw Shakespeare's "The Tempest" at the Stratford Festival here in Ontario this summer and was absolutely blown away. I'd never read that play, so it was amazing to go in as a tempest virgin.

The photo ref for Prospero is from the program I received when we saw the show and I've been wanting to do something with it for a while. Just haven't been brave enough...heh heh. Once I get the photo ref scanned in, I'll post it here.

So here are my first rough sketches. I think his head is a little small, but let me know what your crits are and I'll work on it. The background will be stormy skies and a foamy sea starting to crash on the shores around Prospero.

Take care,
~Ela~

Elaeria

08-30-2005, 06:03 PM

*WOOT* I found the photo that I'm using as a ref for this picture online. :D Here it is! The one I have at home is actually a colour version, but I wanted to share the ref.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/meligh/onstage0615.jpg
The actor is William Hutt, who is retiring this year after about 40 years performing at the Stratford Theatre. He is really quite a remarkable actor with a long a skilled career in performance. He has played the character Prospero many times and obviously knows the character well since his performance was unbelievably awesome! :D
Interestingly, Hutt's farewell performance in The Tempest was also Shakespeare's last play written. Romantically symbolic I thought!
Okay, enough of my blathering! heh heh...let's hear some crits and comments! I know it's early in the work but this is a WIP thread...hee hee!
Thanks all!
~Ela~

jmBoekestein

08-30-2005, 06:14 PM

Hey Elearia... That's a cool pic you're making.

I think there are some issues with the perspective and the way you painted his head and neck, might be a good idea, to only look at overall proportions with 'your minds eye', and then continue to block thos in a bit more.

For instance the highlight on his belly leads e to believe he has his torso twisted, but in the pic he doesn't. There he's quite stately. SO if you 'd check up on th light and dark overalls you'd get closer to the pic itself I bet. God luck with it. :thumbsup:

Elaeria

08-30-2005, 07:04 PM

Thanks man! I'm so glad you stopped in for a look Jan Mark! *does the happy dance*

I see what you mean about his torso...I think I was trying too hard to get that ample belly of his right.. *lol* I'll have to have a look at that tonight...

Perhaps I'll head on over to Rebeccak's threads on anatomy for the issues with the head...*SHAMELESS PLUG!!!*:scream:

~Ela~

Ballthazzar

08-30-2005, 07:49 PM

Ciao Elaeria! Looks great so far, but i think the sky needs more warm colors. It looks like the summoning is already done. It would be more dramatically if the dark clouds don't cover the whole sky. So you can realise the diffrent between the normal weather and the storm. probably more a personal thing...

Elaeria

08-31-2005, 04:49 AM

Hey all! Did a bit of work on the background tonight.

Thyrael-Nox: Thanks for dropping in to check things out here! I couldn't agree more with you about making sure there is some light in the sky...that always makes an approaching storm look that much more dramatic, doesn't it? :D Thanks for the advice!

Here is the point I reached with the background tonight. I still have some work to do, clearly...I will lighten the ocean water surrounding Prospero's standing platform (which is that blotch of colour in the bottom left of the picture...heh heh...still have much more detail to work on..:D) and of course continue with the ominous storm.

What I'm struggling with at this point is how to make Prospero's platform look like it's high above the water? Any thoughts?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/meligh/ProsperoBackground.jpg

As always, any advice, crits and comments you would like to make are more than welcome. You've all been so helpful to this painting so far!

Stay tuned folks, and Happy Painting!
Cheers,
~Ela~

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